Kinship by Kristy

About Kinship by Kristy

Kristy is a wedding and editorial photographer based in Melbourne.

She creates ethereal and romantic imagery in an editorial and documentary style. Kristy is drawn to quiet moments with heartfelt connections, unguarded beauty, motion, and low light.

With a strong affinity for timeless, elegant black and white imagery, she is inspired by her couples and tells each story honestly, artfully, and stylishly - so that each frame is oozing with their unique love and affection.

Behind The Brand

What draws you to wedding photography?

I found a passion for photography in my mid-20s. We lived on Bondi Beach, and I began enjoying photographing the coastal sunrise there. This passion developed over time, and I found myself photographing families and births during my own maternity leave from a corporate position.

After shooting my first wedding, I knew right away I would never go back to the corporate world.

In the early days of photographing births and families, I was inspired intensely by low-light and making imagery that honestly portrayed connections between people in love. Over time, weddings really came to the forefront of what I wanted to photograph. These incredible days incorporated heartfelt moments of connection, dreamy aesthetics, anticipation, planning, and so much joy. I have always had a strong pull toward timeless, black and white imagery and am greatly inspired by my couples and their own stories during a wedding day.

How would you describe your photography style?

Ethereal, editorial and bespoke.

My approach is warm and gentle. I know that beauty exists in honesty, and intimate moments are their most genuine/beautiful when uninterrupted. So while my work has an editorial edge, the majority of a wedding day is me photographing the day in a documentary way – as it naturally unfolds. During portraits, a glass of sparkling, a prop, or a few conversation starters can help encourage the beginning of an intimate moment. My galleries have a lot of movement in them, so if my couples are feeling uncomfortable, we go for a walk – I find natural movement really helps people feel at ease and to look/feel more like themselves.

My favorite moments to photograph during a wedding day are not always key moments. I love a mid-ceremony moment when two witnesses are signing the marriage documents. While everyone is watching them sign, I am often watching my newly married couple, having their first ‘somewhat private’ moment of ‘oh my gosh – we just got married!”

Another less-obvious moment I adore is the 10 minutes that follow directly after speeches. Often, the couple will have walked over to the speakers to thank them. Everyone is relaxed, they’ve had a glass or two of sparkling and unfolding are these beautiful, unguarded moments of connection between the couple and some of their most treasured guests.

What inspires you creatively?

The couples I am photographing are my biggest inspiration on a wedding day. I am driven to tell their stories honestly, artfully, and stylishly – so that each frame is oozing with their unique love and affection.

Light is also a key component of all of my work and is hugely inspiring to me. It creates atmosphere, mood, romance, and allure. It is the first thing I look for when I’m shooting a scene. I am guided by light and the environment in terms of where and how I shoot.

Outside of the wedding day, my work is inspired by fashion/architecture and low-light family and birth photographers.

What is it that makes an image magical?

Organic moments. A couple who are themselves entirely, and some wondrous light also helps.

What advice would you give couples when selecting their wedding photographer?

Research, research, research. Find your favorite photographers and follow their socials, jump on their websites, and read their blogs. If you’ve found someone’s work that you adore, that is the most important thing. It’s key to understand that photographers are all different, so you need to LOVE the person’s work prior to inquiring.

It’s so important that all vendors are aligned with the couple – That the couple’s vision and preferences are matched to those working on their wedding day. All vendors have their own unique style and business, so it’s essential to ensure early on that I am aligned with my couple.

I find out a little bit about my couple, their dream day, and what is of highest value to them prior to booking. I also encourage my couples to look at my socials / website / portfolio and I share some of my full galleries.

Your dream location to shoot a wedding?

I am based in a small country town in Victoria, so I often travel to Melbourne or other areas in Australia to shoot weddings. I get so excited when I am booked to photograph dream clients on a private property nearby to my little town!

That, or Lake Como.

Editor’s Notes

Why we love Kristy…

What we love about Kristy is her ability to find honesty in every moment & knowing exactly what it takes to unravel it – intuitively sensing when to gently direct or completely let go. The result is both intimacy and revelry, artfully captured through an editorial lens.

For the couple…

Drawn to ethereal, editorial captures, but never at the compromise of real, raw emotion.